Four new Deputy Lieutenants have been appointed with Her Majesty The Queen’s agreement by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE.

Her Majesty’s consent to the appointments was given with the traditional phrase, “the Queen does not disapprove”.

The county is the largest Lieutenancy area in the country and the Deputy Lieutenants act as the eyes and ears of the Lieutenancy and help the Lord-Lieutenant in his role as H.M. The Queen’s official representative.

The Deputy Lieutenants are well spread geographically and are drawn from different disciplines and backgrounds. They are the first to be appointed since Mr Dodd’s own appointment in September 2014. What they all have in common is their commitment to communities and voluntary work across the County.

On this occasion, three men and one woman have been appointed. They are listed alphabetically below with brief details of some of their achievements and activities. Their appointment brings the total number of Deputy Lieutenants in North Yorkshire to 49. The number allowed is based on the population of the Lieutenancy area.

David A Kerfoot MBE of Ainderby Steeple, Northallerton, founded The Kerfoot Group with his wife, Elizabeth, in 1980. The company processes, packs and distributes vegetable oils and has grown to export to more than 50 countries. David is deputy chairman of the LEP for York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding, chairman of the Pendragon Community Trust, which he founded to build a facility for the multi-disabled, patron of the food bank Hambleton Foodshare and founder of a charity called Smile for Moldova. He is a patron of the Samaritans and a lifelong activist in the Prison Service as well as being a trustee of Breadline. He was awarded the MBE in 2009 for services to business and the community in Northallerton and HM Prison Service.

Sir Martin Narey of Whitby worked in the NHS before training to be a prison governor. He worked at a number of prisons before moving to Whitehall. There his work included the introduction of Narey Courts, which significantly reduced magistrate court delays. He was appointed Director General (Chief Executive) of the Prison Service in 1998 and in 2003 became the first CEO of the National Offender Management Service. In 2005, he became Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, where he stayed for five years. He now chairs the National Adoption Leadership Board, is chair of the Trustees of The Brain Tumour Charity, chair of the Portman Group and a member of the board of the Advertising Standards Authority.

Margaret Sentamu of York has a background in recruitment and selection, helping to select future clergy for the Church of England and helping companies and organisations to make good board level appointments. She holds regulatory roles with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and for CIPFA member accountants who breach the code of conduct. She is also a non-executive director of the Leeds and York Mental Health Trust and Traidcraft. In her voluntary capacity, Margaret serves on the Advisory Board of the Bradford School of Business Management; St. John’s College, Durham University Council; is president of Mildmay International (HIV/Aids charity); and is patron and trustee of international charities in the areas of health, education and poverty.

Sir Harry Wilmot of Stokesley is an entrepreneur involved with several small and medium-sized businesses. He is managing director of HE Woolley Ltd, a Teesside-based fire protection and security company that has been providing systems to commercial and domestic customers in the North East and nationally for almost 100 years. The company has recently diversified to supply pub gas to public houses. Harry is involved with a number of charities and is chairman of the Ocean Youth Trust (North), which provides sail training for disadvantaged young people. He worked previously in the steel business in South America and is fluent in Spanish.

For further information about the Lieutenancy and a list of Deputy Lieutenants visit the Lord Lieutenant’s website, www.nyll.org.uk or contact the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE at barrydodd@nyll.org.uk, or contact The Clerk to the Lieutenancy at County Hall via amanda.fry@northyorks.gov.uk telephone 01609 532705.